Chef Onuma is known for his meticulous approach to Japanese cuisine, specifically highlighting the unique and delicate flavors from the northern regions of Japan. His restaurant, Akanezaka Onuma, offers a fine dining...
Very disappointing meal, especially for the price. Most dishes were bland and had no taste. Nice presentation and it was cool to see some dishes being made, but most things just did not taste good. Steak and picked cucumbers were pretty much the only items that tasted good. Everything else was nothing special and some just plain bad. Wine pours were ridiculously tiny - about two sips worth. Service was so so. Had to ask for water each time. It was also ridiculously hot and even after I asked to have the AC turned on (it was over 80 degrees outside and the AC was off when we came), it was still way too hot in the restaurant. I am shocked by their Michelin star. I guess you really can't trust the Michelin guide any more. Considering the $800 price tag for a family of 4 with only two tiny glasses of wine, this place was mostly a total disappointment. I do not recommend this restaurant.
For 30,000 yen, I got 11 courses but the food was so so, compared to other places with much lower price points. There was no uni or toro or other expensive ingredients. The chef wasn’t willing to communicate in English even though he speaks the language.
I had dinner here on October 4, 2022 with two business partners. I use the Guide Michelin restaurant App and chose this restaurant because it was not far from my hotel.
Akasaka is a small interesting district of Tokyo that I prefer.
About the restaurant:
I have to split my rating into three parts.
1. food
Overall, the food was very good. And for this the chef has rightly received a Michelin star.
It was a very nice experience. if it were solely about the food, I would be very happy to come back.
2. wine and service
The wine selection is relatively good, although French wines dominate. Regrettably, the chef does not have Japanese wines, and in particular, no wines from Yamagata. This is a bit of a shame. The service and the way of presenting the wine was not worthy of one star.
3. air conditioning and smoke
This is the real reason for my negative verdict. it absolutely cannot be that during the meal the restaurant filled with white and blue smoke. Although we pointed out the chef, and the name almost nothing. This condition is improving somewhat. At a later date, the restaurant was again consumed.
I am sorry for my bad review, but we did not feel comfortable and our clothes smelled unpleasant (like a cheap Korean restaurant)
In the aftermath, I read other review and not for the first time I saw that other guests made similar criticism. Here, the chef should definitely invest and eliminate the grievances as soon as possible.
This restaurant where you can find dishes where you can experience the splendor of Japanese food. I was impressed by the skills that brings out the smell and umami of the ingredients themselves without feeling any of the unique egumi of the ingredients. Of course, the restaurant is clean and cozy, so it's nice to be able to concentrate on food. I recommend it.
